10 Little Things That Make Me Happy

Know what makes me smile?? Celebrating the little things in life, cultivating gratitude, and experiencing the joy of simple pleasures. Here are 10 little things that make me really happy! 1. The view from our garden plot at sunset. The tomatoes are almost ready.   2. Chatting about ideas for creative play with the lovely […]

Sponge Bomb Yo-Yos

There was renewed interest in the sponge bombs when we made them into yo-yos! This time I held the sponge bombs together with ouchless hair elastics instead, and they worked very well indeed. A piece of elastic attached made them instant yo-yos!! (As with anything else, be sure to supervise the kiddos while playing.) When […]

Sunday Snapshot — Lego Building Fun

This Lego set was an awesome gift from Emily’s Uncle Glenn. It took Emily almost TWO FULL DAYS, but she built it!       And she built it all by herself. This is the LEGO Creator Log Cabin 5766 — which is totally awesome. There are instructions for 3 different building projects, and Emily had […]

Water Beads and Glow Sticks

I had some clear water beads chilling in the fridge, and since we’re in the midst of a heat wave this Summer, I thought now might be a good time to let the kiddos play with them. Note — Water beads are designed for use in floral arrangements, and not as toys. They are non-toxic […]

Outdoor Nature Discovery Lab

During a recent trip to the dollar store, Emily asked if we could spend an afternoon creating a “nature discovery lab”. I thought that was a great idea, and as it turns out, we were able to use a few inexpensive items from the dollar store to make our nature discovery lab even more educational […]

Easy 4th of July Windsock Craft

I’m guest posting for my friends at Melissa & Doug with an easy craft for kids as part of Week 5 of Camp Sunny Patch. You can see how we made patriotic windsocks to either display proudly in your home, or if your kids are like mine, run around with them like crazy monkeys! And […]

Fun with Frozen Yogurt Containers

Does your family eat a lot of frozen yogurt? Do you have several empty containers? Looking for fun things to do with them?? Here are our 3 favorite projects using empty frozen yogurt containers. Also?? We LOVE the new Stonyfield frozen Oikos! Have you tried it? It is Ahhhhh-mazing! Highly recommend the superfruits flavor…. and […]

Festive Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches

These frozen Greek yogurt sandwiches were a totally spontaneous treat we whipped up this afternoon, and they were a big hit around here! I thought maybe you would like to make some of your own too. After all, why choose between cookies and frozen Greek yogurt, if you can have them both in a delicious […]

Giveaway — 3 Months of eMeals Menu Planning Service

Know what I love?? Tools that make my life easier. That’s why I was so excited do a trial membership of eMeals, an online menu planning service. Not only does eMeals save me a BUNCH of time, but it also saves our family money by providing accompanying shopping lists (taking advantage of weekly grocery specials) […]

BIG Play in Small Spaces

Recently I posted a list of What to Do with the Kids this Summer with 10 simple ideas. A lovely reader (Hi, Judith!) commented to say that she lives in the city and is looking for play ideas that don’t require a lot of space. So I reached out to some of the most creative […]

Recycled Artwork

I’m guest posting for my friends at Melissa & Doug today. Come see how we recycled wooden bead trays to make beautiful and unique works of art! You can create a mini gallery for display in your home. Be sure to add this to your list of things to do with the kids. Added bonus?? […]

Building Fairy Houses

Just as I was about to tackle the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, the girls asked if they could do some crafting. Well! They didn’t have to twist my arm!! Those dishes can wait. Instead, I put together a super-quick, CUTE, tiny, fairy house building kit for them. It’s made with some leftover […]

Happy Father’s Day!

Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. – Bill Cosby My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, “You’re tearing up the grass.’” “We’re not raising grass,” Dad would reply. “We’re raising boys.” – Harmon Killebrew Happy is the father whose child […]

Father’s Day Gift Kids Can Make — BBQ Sauce

Looking for an easy Father’s Day gift idea that the kids can make?? The girls and I have been hard at work making and canning batches of homemade BBQ sauce for a gift to Mark this Father’s Day! ((Shhhhhhh… it’s a surprise!)) Mark loves to cook on the grill. I’m pretty sure this is because […]

Easy Botanical Prints

The girls and I made some pretty botanical prints with the help of the Sun, some water, and a Sunprint Kit similar to this one. They were so proud of how nicely their prints turned out! We used natural items we collected from our yard — sticks, flower petals, and leaves. A few things I […]

Sunshine Crafts and Activities for Kids

Here are some of our favorite crafts and activities for kids that celebrate sunshine — no matter what weather you happen to be experiencing at the moment. Besides, sometimes it’s more fun to make your own sunshine! Sunny Indoor Beach — If the weather is not cooperating, why not make your own sunny beach indoors? […]

Ice Cream in a Bag

Making your own ice cream in a bag is definitely a great activity to include on your list of What To Do With The Kids This Summer!! It’s super quick (takes about 5 minutes) and it’s VERY easy to do! Also? Super FUN!!! And the smiles totally made my day! Then there was the taste […]

More Tips to Make Cleaning Fun

Clara and I had a lot of cleaning to get done this week, so we filmed a short video with parenting tips to show how we make cleaning fun. You can watch it on our NEW YouTube channel. — 5 Ways to Make Cleaning Fun for Kids Pst! Be sure to click on the “subscribe” button […]